How to Dispose of PCB Ballast

Governments and organizations throughout the world use fluorescent lighting because of its illumination quality and longevity. Inside older models of fluorescent lights is a light distribution mechanism known as a ballast. Prior to 1978 fluorescent light ballasts contained a highly toxic compound known as polychlorinated biphenyl, commonly referred to as PCB. The highly carcinogenic nature of PCBs requires extreme caution and makes it illegal to dispose of any PCB ballast in a landfill. Proper disposal of any PCB ballast requires using a Universal Waste vendor as outlined by the federally-mandated Universal Waste guidelines.

Things You'll Need

• Screw top 5 gallon pails
• Thick rubber gloves

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Instructions

• 1

  Report the damaged ballast to your maintenance staff or hazardous waste department. A firm that generates more than 5.000 kilograms, or 11.02 pounds at a time is categorized as a large generator of universal waste and requires additional documentation paperwork for each Universal Waste disposal container.

• 2

  Obtain a 5 gallon screw top container and put on protective gloves. Do not allow any part of your skin or clothing to touch the ballast. Slowly insert each ballast into the container. Take off the protective gloves and add them into the container before sealing the lid. Do not attempt to reuse rubber gloves after handling PCB ballasts since they may contain harmful PCB residue.

• 3

  Apply the purple Universal Waste label to the outside of the container. Write the contents "PCB ballast" on the label and mark the date. Do not store any items other than PCB ballasts in the container to avoid chemical interactions. Store the container in a safe location specifically designated for hazardous materials. Never store any Universal Waste item more than a year due to increased risk of decomposition and leaking.

• 4

  Contact the company's Universal Waste vendor. The disposal or maintenance office will have this information as well. Also check with your state guidelines for at the FedCenter website for additional information and resources concerning Universal Waste management (see Resources).